Haunted
by rukia-neesan
Summary: Battles don't always take the form you expect. Mild Ichiruki, slight Hichiruki, sequel to Beautiful and Control.
1. Chapter 1

Yes, it's true. I finally-more than a year later-have finished this story, the sequel to Beautiful and Control. It took a long time, and I know that some of you may still be unsatisfied with the results (there's very little romance, for one thing), but I hope that, at the very least, I manage to entertain you.

As far as I can tell, there are 12 chapters in this story, as well as an epilogue; I will likely be posting one every two weeks. I will also be posting a few one-shots and a crossover chapter story; I wrote them, and most of this story, during NaNoWriMo, where I made a goal to write 50,000 words of Bleach fanfic. (I made it to 50,500 words, one week early. Yay!) Finally, I will be re-posting each chapter in Control, as FFNet has messed up my formatting. Sigh.

And now, without further ado, I present Haunted, the third story in my accidental trilogy. I hope you enjoy it!

xx

Rukia gazed out the open window as Ochi-sensei continued her lecture, watching the clouds drift by, chased by a wind which failed to disturb the still air of the classroom far below. She had long since given up taking notes, unable to concentrate for more than a few minutes at a time on Japanese history. After all, it wasn't as if she needed to get a good grade in this class; she was only here to keep up appearances, and the only history she'd ever really cared about had been what she'd learned at the Academy.

A bird flew across her field of vision, small and white, looking from this distance like a single snowflake falling from the hazy blue sky. Rukia rested her cheek on her hand and puffed out a breath of air, trying to make the strand of hair falling across her face dance in front of her eyes for a moment, but it remained firmly stuck to her nose by the humidity. She'd never experienced a summer like this one before; the weather in Soul Society was mild, almost unchanging from season to season. And the school's policy of "saving energy" by refusing to use air conditioning made her want to slip out of her gigai and use Hakuren on the classroom.

_Maybe after school, _she thought, _I can go over to Urahara's to train with Shirayuki. I'm sure she'd welcome the opportunity..._

She hadn't been back to the Shoten for a week, not since Ichigo had taken her there after his hollow's attack. She had awakened to find herself lying on a tatami mat, Inoue's Souten Kisshun surrounding her and Ichigo kneeling on a cushion at her side. The look on his face had been one of despair and self-loathing, and she hated it. Hated that Ichigo's hollow had tried to use her against Ichigo. And somewhere deep inside, she hated herself for being unable to stop it.

She was fairly sure he'd talked to Urahara before they left, but he hadn't told her anything about it. And ever since then, Ichigo had avoided her.

It wasn't that she never saw him; after all, they lived in the same house. But Ichigo seemed to be making a point to never allow himself to be alone with her. At mealtimes, he sat on the far end of the table from her. When they watched television, he would sit on the floor instead of next to her on the sofa. And when she awoke in the mornings, he had already dressed and left for school.

Rukia was sick of it.

Today, after school, she intended to confront Ichigo before he left for home and ask him what Urahara had said. And if necessary, she was prepared to slap some sense into him.

"-chiki! Oi, Kuchiki!"

Rukia's head snapped up, and she slid back into her schoolgirl persona. "Yes, Ochi-sensei? Is there something you need from me?"

Ochi-sensei shook her head. "Not really, you just seemed kinda lost there. Is the heat getting to you? You look pretty pale..."

An evil idea came to her then, and Rukia gave a sweet, high-pitched giggle. "Actually, Sensei, I do feel rather faint. I think I may need someone to accompany me to the nurse's office." She gave a little pout, knowing just how Ochi would respond to this request. Sure enough...

"Fair enough. Kurosaki! Take Kuchiki to the nurse's office, will you?"

xx

Ichigo, who had watched this drama unfold with a feeling of dread rising in his stomach, now turned toward Ochi-sensei, intending to protest.

Until Rukia came up behind him, kicked his leg under the desk, grabbed his arm, and whispered, "Now. Or else."

Biting his lip from the sudden pain, Ichigo stood and "helped" her out of the classroom, wincing from her iron grip on his arm. Behind them, Ochi-sensei returned to her lecture, a smug smile on her face.

The two of them made it out into the hallway and around the corner before Rukia dropped his arm, spun around and, with a quick shove, pinned him against the lockers behind him.

Startled, he was about to yell something rude and scathing until he looked down at Rukia's face. She looked strong, determined, just like always... but behind her façade of anger he could sense her inner conflict. He had known all week that she'd wanted to talk to him, but he'd been too afraid of what she might have to say to face her. It seemed he hadn't been the only one who was apprehensive about this talk.

"Tell me," she ordered, staring up into his face. "Tell me what Urahara said to you."

He stared down at her for a moment, and she lowered her eyes, gently biting her lip.

"Please..."

The simple word tightened something in his chest, and he suddenly felt like the world's biggest jerk. He'd done his best to kill her last week, and now he didn't even have the decency to talk to her.

Sighing, he thought back to his conversation with Geta-boushi, wondering what he was going to say to her.

_He knelt next to Rukia's sleeping form; the details of the fight replayed in his head over and over again, each repetition making him feel worse than before. Inoue sat next to him, the warm glow of her healing shield playing across their faces as the wounds covering Rukia's body slowly faded. Inoue looked horrified to see her friend in such a condition, but had begun healing her instantly, seeming to realise that Ichigo wouldn't tell her what had happened. Not after seeing the look on his face._

_Ichigo watched the bite wound on her shoulder (_and when the hell had he done that!) _revert to smooth, unblemished skin, watched the blood vanish from the torn fabric, watched the _kosode _mend itself back together almost like nothing had ever happened. Rukia's face began to relax as her injuries were erased, and Ichigo had to look away to keep from screaming._

It's all your fault, _an insidious voice whispered in the back of his mind. _You're the one who did this to her.

_Ichigo wasn't sure whether it was the hollow speaking, or just his own subconscious. But whichever one it was, he found himself agreeing._

_He heard Inoue gasp next to him and flinched, then realised that Rukia had finally reopened her eyes. She looked confused for a moment, then seemed to figure out where she was and why. Sighing, she looked up at Ichigo and scowled._

_"Wipe that ridiculous look off your face before I do it for you, _tawake_."_

_Inoue smiled and clapped her hands. "Kuchiki-san! You're okay!"_

_Rukia shifted her focus to the bubbly girl sitting next to her, and a smile graced her features for a moment. "Of course I am, Inoue, thanks to you."_

_Turning back to Ichigo, her smile vanished again. "You're still being an idiot, Ichigo. What did I tell you?" She shifted an arm under herself, trying to push into a sitting position, but fell back onto the mat with a tired grunt. Ichigo's face twisted, and he stood up._

_"I need to talk to Urahara," he said, and left the room without a second look._

_He set out down the hallway toward Urahara's room, but when he turned the corner he was startled to see the man already standing there with a serious look on his face, seemingly waiting for him. Ichigo paused for a moment, afraid to ask what he knew he needed to ask, then remembered the look on Rukia's face when she had seen him there. He needed to do this for her._

_Ichigo sighed, then opened his mouth to speak. Urahara, however, was one step ahead._

_"I know what you're going to ask, Kurosaki-san, and the answer is no. I don't have a way to help you control your hollow."_

_Ichigo stared at him, surprise changing to astonishment and then to anger. Moving closer to the shopkeeper, he said in a furious whisper, "So what, you're just going to tell me that I need to defeat him on my own or something? I tried that already, and Rukia... Rukia was almost..."_

_He stopped for a moment, swallowing the lump that had formed in his throat and trying not to think of the sight of his sword buried in her shoulder, and before he could compose himself, Urahara began speaking again._

_"That's partly right, Kurosaki-san. You do need to defeat him yourself. You do not, however, have to defeat him _by _yourself."_

_Ichigo looked up at him, uncomprehending._

_"Trust in Kuchiki-san. Together, the two of you can make it through this. Remember what I told you before? If you truly desire to save her with your whole heart, you have at your disposal a power stronger than steel. Alone, neither of you may stand a chance, but if you place your trust in her and allow her to help you through this..."_

_Ichigo swallowed hard, then looked Urahara directly in the face. Remembering the conversation he'd had with Urahara the day Rukia had been taken back to Soul Society, the ghost of a smile returned to his face for the first time that night._

_"Well, if I don't do this, there's nobody else who can, right?"_

_Urahara's grin reappeared._

_"That's exactly right."_

Looking down into Rukia's determined face, Ichigo decided that from now on, he would have no more secrets from her. He owed her that much, after all he'd done to her, and after all she'd done for him.

Except...

There was one thing he couldn't bring himself to tell her. He'd spent the entire last week thinking about the realisation he'd come to during the battle, and still had no idea what to do about his feelings for Rukia. He knew there was no way she would ever love him, a stupid human boy who couldn't even control his own inner demons, and he didn't want to risk their friendship by foolishly blurting out the fact that he was in love with her.

Resolved, he sighed, and told her, "He said that we can win... if we fight the hollow together."

Rukia gazed up at him, her face set, then did something he never would have expected.

She leaned in and wrapped her arms around him.

Pressing her face against his chest, she took a deep breath and whispered, "Okay."

She lingered for a moment, then pulled away and walked back to the classroom, leaving a very confused Ichigo staring after her.

xx

Thanks to everyone who has put me on alert or favourited me, and especially to those who have reviewed. You're all wonderful, and I love you.

Translations: (I have no clue what people might have trouble with, so this is mainly a CYA)

sensei: teacher

gigai: false body

shoten: shop

geta-boushi: literally "sandal-hat", Ichigo's nickname for Urahara

tatami: floor mats

kosode: the black top of the Shinigami uniform

tawake: an outdated word meaning "fool"


	2. Chapter 2

There are not enough words to express how sorry I am for leaving this for so long.

I hope you still enjoy it.

xx

As the final bell rang, Rukia began packing her books carefully into her bag, ignoring the small twinges of pain that still lingered in her shoulder even after Inoue's help. The other girl had nearly exhausted herself healing the deep stab wound, and in the end Rukia had ordered her to stop before she ended up injuring herself. Regretfully, Rukia abandoned her plan of going to Urahara's to train. She knew from experience that she would do more harm than good to her body at the moment.

She didn't want to admit it, even to herself, but she was also reluctant to draw her sword again. She had forced herself to forget most of what had happened that night, knowing that if she began dwelling on it, she would be overwhelmed by everything that had occurred. The taste of blood. The sound of harsh, echoing laughter. The sight of sickly yellow eyes and the feel of cold, cruel fingers trailing across her skin.

The feel of Ichigo's lips on hers, and the sound of her own voice.

_"I... love you..."_

She shuddered and shook her head, forcing the memories back. It wouldn't be fair of her to tell Ichigo what she felt for him. She knew it would only hurt him.

"Everything okay?"

Startled, she glanced up into Ichigo's face. He looked... concerned.

Smiling up at him, she nodded. "It's just the heat. It's never like this in Soul Society." Standing up, she stretched, then picked up her bag and turned to leave the classroom, Ichigo following faithfully after her.

Their walk home was filled with a comfortable silence, the two of them content just to be together.

xx

When they reached Ichigo's house, Rukia thoughtfully went through the front door first, slipped off her shoes in the _genkan _and called, "_Tadaima_!"

"_Okaeri_, Rukia-chan!" came Yuzu's cheerful voice from the kitchen, along with the sound of a pan being placed in the sink and water running. Smiling, Rukia stepped through the doorway to the rest of the house as Ichigo entered the _genkan_.

He was abruptly attacked by his own father.

"Welcome home, Ichigo!" yelled Isshin, attempting to kick his son in the head. Rukia's eyes widened, and she turned quickly to watch the fight. Isshin's Ichigo-attacking abilities seemed to be improving; she hadn't even noticed him jump past her. Was she losing her touch, here in the Real World?

"What the hell are you doing, old man!" Ichigo screamed, bending backward to avoid his father's foot.

"You're later than usual, my son! Were you and my darling Rukia-chan off somewhere, alone together-" he was abruptly cut off by Ichigo's fist landing in his face.

Rukia heard a sigh from behind her and turned to see Karin standing by the stairs, arms folded as she watched the familiar scene. "I think we should have Yuzu cut off his food supply," she murmured. "Maybe it would calm things down around here for a while."

Rukia smiled, glad to see that some things, at least, hadn't changed since last week. "No, it would probably just make him jump on the memorial poster and cry about how mean his daughters are now that they've reached puberty."

Karin grinned, stepping aside so that Rukia could walk past her. "_Okaeri_, Rukia-chan. Glad to see you're feeling better."

Rukia blinked, unsure of what the other girl meant. "Feeling... better?"

Looking back toward the fight escalating in the entryway, Karin rested her chin in one hand, looking thoughtful. "For the past week, the two of you have seemed to be avoiding each other. But today, you're acting normal again. Did something happen to you guys?"

Rukia bit her lip, the image of a pair of yellow eyes flashing through her mind. Forcing it back down, she turned to Karin and smiled again. "It's nothing, Karin-chan," she said, stepping past the younger girl and heading toward the stairs.

As she reached the landing, she glanced backward; Karin still watched her, worry plain on her face.

xx

Fifteen minutes later, Ichigo finally reached his bedroom, grumbling about his stupid crazy father's psychotic hobby of trying to kill him. He opened the door, exhausted and ready to collapse on his bed.

Which would be extremely awkward, considering that Rukia was currently sprawled across it, reading one of her weird horror manga.

He scowled at her for a minute and considered telling her to move, but gave up and fell into his desk chair instead, sighing loudly in relief. Rukia glanced up, looked back at the book and turned a page, gasped, and closed it. Leaning over and dropping the book on the desk, she settled back onto the bed and looked at Ichigo, head resting on her folded arms.

"So," she said, "what do we do now?"

He closed his eyes and stretched his arms over his head, banishing the stiffness that had begun to settle in his muscles after the fight with his father, then looked at her again. "I don't know," he said quietly.

Rukia sighed and closed her eyes. "Neither do I."

They sat like that for several seconds, both silently contemplating the situation.

Until a flying ball of yellow fuzz leapt toward Rukia's chest with a cry of "Nee-saaaan!"

Reflexively, Rukia leaned up and swatted the plushie, smacking him into the door on the other side of the room. Ichigo noticed her wince as she extended her shoulder, and bit his lip in sympathetic pain.

_It's all your fault..._ whispered a voice in the back of his head.

Shaking his head, he forced the voice back down, desperately hoping that it was just his own guilty conscience speaking and not the hollow beginning to stir again.

Kon slid down the door and flipped himself back into a standing position, tears somehow streaming down his fabric face. "Nee-san, I've missed you so much! After you came back from that pervert's shop, you've hardly been here! Is that it? Did that horrible man do something to you? _Neeee-saaaan_!"

Ichigo, quickly growing fed up with the stuffed lion's anguished cries, stood up, grabbed hold of him (_get your filthy hands off me, Ichigo! You jerk!_), threw him out the open window and slammed it shut. Silence ensued once again.

Glancing over at Rukia, he saw that she'd sat up and was fighting to hold back a grin, and despite his concern for her, he couldn't help smiling in response. He dropped onto the bed next to her and leaned back against the wall, stretching his arms over his head. "Well, so much for having a serious conversation in this house, between him and my dad," he said, tucking his hands behind his neck.

Rukia turned to lean against the wall alongside him, pulling her knees up and wrapping her arms around them. "Yeah," she said softly, and he could hear the humour lingering in her voice. "At least he's good for something."

Ichigo grinned, finally feeling like things might just be getting back to normal after all.

xx

Rukia lay on her stomach in the street, feeling gravel digging deep into her cheek as she twisted her head to the side in a desperate attempt to catch a glimpse of her attacker. She heard a whisper of cloth and felt pain explode along her spine as he dug his knee into her back, but forced herself not to cry out as she stretched out her arm in a futile attempt to grab Sode no Shirayuki. The hilt was merely centimetres from her fingertips, but in her current state it seemed like half a block lay between her and her blade.

With a sudden thrill of fear, she felt the hollow lean across her body, fingers sliding over her neck as he whispered in her ear. "_Gotcha, Rukia-chan."_

And the hands around her neck tightened, cutting off her scream for help, and his breath was hot on her face and she couldn't _breathe_!

With a gasp, Rukia sat up in bed, the thin sheet tangled around her sweat-soaked limbs in the still, hot air of the closet. She frantically tried to calm her erratic heartbeat, control her breathing and her _reiatsu _so as not to alert Ichigo of her predicament. He had enough to worry about already with his inner hollow, and she was determined to do everything she could to help him. Awakening him at-she checked the time on her _denreishinki_, lying beside her pillow-three in the morning because she'd had another nightmare would only make him feel even more guilty about the situation.

She could handle this by herself.

Lying back down, Rukia stared at the ceiling of the closet, pushing the images from the dream to the back of her mind and burying them in ice, just as she had done before.

_They're going to break free again, you know, _whispered a soft, gentle voice in her head.

_I know,_ replied Rukia. _But I don't want to worry him._

Shirayuki didn't respond to this statement, but Rukia could feel the sword's cooling presence surround her. Sighing in relief, she closed her eyes and tried to fall back to sleep.

xx

I will be attempting to restart my regular two-week update schedule from now on; however, if you don't hear from me for a while, assume I've been horribly distracted by Real Life. I'm also posting a one-shot of little Byakuya, which I hope you'll take the time to read.

I love you all.

Translations:

genkan: front entrance, where you take off shoes

tadaima: I'm home, literally "just now"

okaeri: short form of okaerinasai, basically "welcome home"

reiatsu: spirit pressure

denreishinki: "divine messaging machine", shinigami cellphone


	3. Chapter 3

Hey look! Another chapter! I must really like you guys or something.

I'll be trying to update every Wednesday; for the next few chapters, I'm going to try one a week, and then I might switch to alternating with oneshots again once I'm back in the swing of things. The story is still kind of slow at the moment, but things are going to be picking up pretty soon. Hope you enjoy it.

xx

Ichigo awoke with a tingling sense of imminent danger. Opening his eyes, he found himself face-to-face with his father.

Isshin grinned maniacally and whispered, "Good... Morning... ICHIGO!"

With a startled yell, Ichigo whipped his arm around and bashed the bearded maniac in the ear with his elbow. Isshin fell to the floor, screaming "Well done, my son, I have nothing left to teach you!"

And the fight was on.

Ichigo took a glancing blow to the cheek, but managed to plant his foot into his father's face and throw him off. Isshin, undaunted, flipped into a crouch and started posing like the star of a cheap karate movie. "You shall never manage-"

The closet door slammed open, and a rather pissed-off Rukia yelled, "What are you morons doing this early in the morning!"

There was a moment of silence as everyone in the room stared at each other.

Rukia's cheeks began to glow red, and she slammed the door back shut. Ichigo heard rustling from within the closet, and then she re-emerged with her school uniform in one hand and a hairbrush in the other. "Excuse me," she muttered, stepping over Isshin and heading into the bathroom down the hall.

Isshin looked up at Ichigo, tears streaming down his face. "Oh, Masaki, it's finally happened! Our boy has become a man at last-"

Ichigo kicked him in the face again, knocking him into the hallway. "Shut UP, old man! She said the twins' room was too crowded, so I offered to let her sleep in here last night. NOTHING HAPPENED, got that!"

Isshin picked himself up and ran down the stairs, where he could still faintly be heard moaning at his memorial poster that he'd tried to raise them right, but Ichigo had become such a monstrous brute, and...

Ichigo slammed the door shut, a blush heating his own cheeks as he recalled what had just happened. Of all the ways for his father to discover that Rukia had been sleeping in his closet, this was definitely not on his top-ten list.

After she had officially joined the household and begun sleeping in his sisters' room, Ichigo had found himself... missing her. Sure, they still saw each other constantly during the day, but he had grown used to hearing her soft breathing if he awoke during the night, feeling the gentle flickers of her reiatsu as she dreamed. It had been a constant comfort to know that as he slept, she was sleeping right alongside him.

So when she had come to him last night and asked if she could spend the night in his closet again, there was no way he could refuse.

Ichigo sighed, running a hand through his hair and hoping his father would drop the subject soon. Things were just beginning to feel comfortable between the two of them again, and he didn't need his stupid father's crazy antics to drive Rukia away from him. Not only did he like being around her, but if what Urahara had said was correct, she was his only chance to defeat his inner hollow.

He mentally kicked himself for even thinking that. Rukia was so much more to him than just a... security blanket, or a tool to help exorcise bad spirits. He couldn't believe how selfish that thought had sounded.

A soft knock on the door jerked him out of his thoughts, and he opened it to find Rukia standing in the hallway, fully dressed, her hair still damp from the shower. "Bathroom's free," she said, slipping past him into the room and heading back to the closet.

Ichigo turned to leave, then reconsidered it for a moment. Turning toward her, he said hesitantly, "Um, Rukia?"

She glanced up from slipping a textbook into her bag. "What is it, Ichigo?"

He rubbed one hand across his face and said, "Sorry about that. I told him that you just needed some space, but-"

She cut him off. "It's fine, Ichigo. Really. I should have thought before I did that. I just... didn't sleep well last night."

_Because of you,_ the little voice whispered in the back of his mind. _She's still afraid of you._

_Shut up!_ he said to himself. _Rukia's stronger than that._

_Are you sure?_

_Of course I am! Besides, she's the one who asked to sleep in here in the first place! Rukia's..._

"Hello? Earth to Ichigo? Can you still hear me?"

Ichigo snapped back into reality to find Rukia standing a few inches away from him, waving her hand in front of his face. With a startled yelp, he jerked backward... and fell straight over.

Rukia snickered at him, reaching a hand down to help him up.

And as Ichigo reached up to take it, a flash of black drowned his vision.

xx

As Ichigo grasped her wrist, a sudden wave of dizziness washed across Rukia's senses.

Swaying in place, she caught herself before she could fall on Ichigo. _The last thing I need right now is to end up in a scene from one of Inoue's shojo manga, _she thought wryly.

Bracing herself, she leaned back to help Ichigo up, but he was no longer trying to stand. Confused, she glanced down at him and gasped.

Streaks of black trailed across the sclera of his left eye, and the iris took on a faint yellow glow.

Horrified, she tried to yank her wrist back, but his grip tightened and he started pulling her toward him, his mouth stretching into an impossibly wide smile...

Yuzu's voice floated up from downstairs. "Onii-chan! Rukia-chan! If you don't eat breakfast soon, you're gonna be late!"

Ichigo released her hand with a sudden gasp, looking up at her face in horror. His gaze searched out hers, fearing the worst.

Rukia crouched down and offered her hand again. "It's okay, Ichigo," she said, [a sad smile on her face]. "It's not your fault." Grunting with the effort, she pulled him back to his feet and turned to leave the room. Pausing in the doorway, she turned back toward him and grinned.

"We'll get through this together, remember?"

xx

When the bell rang to signal the end of classes, Rukia was already out of her seat and on the way out the door. She'd spoken to Ichigo at lunch and told him that she needed to do something after school, so he should go home without her. He'd agreed and turned away quickly, but not quickly enough to hide the hurt that flashed across his face at her request. Rukia hated making him feel that way, but she wanted to talk to Urahara without him there.

Leaving the school building, she paused for a moment in a secluded corner of the yard and took her Soul Candy dispenser out of her bag. Swallowing the small green pill, she pulled herself out of the gigai and turned to address Chappy. "Go back to the clinic without me, okay?" she whispered. "My notebook and markers are in the backpack, so you can just draw until I get there. I shouldn't take very long."

Chappy nodded, happy to obey her Rukia-sama. "Got it, pyon!" she whispered back, and skipped happily across the schoolyard and out the main gate.

Rukia shook her head, momentarily amused by the _konpaku's _antics, then leapt over the wall surrounding the school before any of her spiritually-aware classmates had a chance to see her.

Turning for a moment to get her bearings, she felt the wash of Ichigo's reiatsu across her senses as he left the building. It felt almost the same as usual, but there was still that hint of something darker that hadn't been there before he'd gone to Soul Society. Tears pricked momentarily at her eyes; he'd done so much for her, and yet she couldn't stop herself from causing him pain.

But at least she could try to help him now.

Taking a deep breath, she slid into _shun'po_, heading across town to the Urahara Shoten and leaving the sense of Ichigo behind.

xx

Rukia opened the door of the Shoten and slipped inside without knocking, fairly certain that Urahara would expect her to show up here. Sure enough, she had barely made it to the first row of candy bins before Ururu came out of the back room to greet her.

"_Irasshaimase_, Kuchiki-san," said the little girl softly. "Kisuke-san is working right now, but I'll let him know you're here. Come with me, please."

She turned and led Rukia into the familiar meeting room, seating her at the low table as usual. Going over to the small kitchenette in the next room, she poured a cup of tea, then returned and placed it in front of Rukia. "_Doozo."_

_"Arigatou, _Ururu," said Rukia, picking up the cup and taking a sip as the girl disappeared into the back hallway.

A few minutes later-long enough for Rukia to become irritated at Urahara, who seemed to be taking his own sweet time coming to greet her-she heard the familiar _clack-clack_ of his _geta_ on the wooden floor. Turning, she greeted him with a glare and a highly informal, "Urahara! Took you long enough."

"My apologies, Kuchiki-san. I was doing some research," he said pleasantly, not at all offended by her tone of voice. Tilting his hat back slightly, he studied her face and nodded as if confirming something, then sighed.

"I'm sorry, Kuchiki-san, but I have to tell you the same thing I told him. There's nothing I can do about his hollow."

Rukia gritted her teeth, setting down the cup of tea. "I know there's nothing you, _personally_, can do. But I also know that you think there's something _I_ can do, so spit it out, Urahara. I haven't got all day."

Urahara sighed, his hat slipping down to shade his eyes once again. "Frankly, I'm not sure _what_ you might be able to do, Kuchiki-san. All I know is that my instincts are telling me you are the key to subduing Kurosaki-san's hollow once and for all."

Rukia leaned forward, eyes intent. "_Why_, Urahara? You must have done some research or _something _on this!"

He looked up for a moment, staring directly at her. "You and Kurosaki-san have a bond, Kuchiki-san. When you gave your power to him, it forged a bond-almost a bridge-between the two of you. All I can tell you is that you must try to utilize that bond to your advantage, in order to overpower the hollow."

Rukia looked up at him for a moment, his words echoing in her head. Slowly, she nodded.

"I'm not quite sure how. But I'm going to help him."

Urahara smiled. "I knew you would."

xx

I have trouble writing non-fight plot that moves at a reasonable pace! Bah! I hope you'll bear with me; there wasn't really any way I could speed this up. And don't worry, things will start to get pretty interesting soon.

Love you all!


	4. Chapter 4

Yet another not-much-happens chapter, but it felt awkward when paired with either the preceding or following ones, so it ended up as a stand-alone. Next chapter, things will actually start happening! Surprise! In the meantime, here's some Ishida to tide you over.

xx

Rukia decided to walk home, instead of using _shun'po _again, to give herself time to put her thoughts in order. The city noise around her was a welcome distraction, keeping her from dwelling on the darker moments of the past week. Street vendors shouted their slogans at passersby; children laughed with their parents; groups of junior high girls walked past in their matching uniforms, giggling at boys and chatting about fashion; amidst all of this _life_, it was hard for her not to smile. The past few months she'd spent here were some of the happiest she'd ever experienced. Unseen by all around her, she let herself just enjoy the moment, pausing to admire a display of flowers, a set of toys placed in a shop window, brightly-coloured ice cream lined up in neat rows. Peering through the window of the Baskin-Robbins, she watched a teenage girl point to the flavour she wanted as the boy with her smiled, handing a bill to the shopkeeper. Rukia smiled too, remembering the time last month when she'd dragged Ichigo here, buying a strawberry-flavoured cone just to make him blush. _Ichigo..._

Her smile faded slightly and she moved away from the window, heading toward the Kurosaki Clinic. As nice as it was to forget her problems for a short while, she wouldn't get any closer to a solution that way. And she owed Ichigo too much to ignore her responsibilities any longer.

She walked slowly, though, prolonging her solitude so she could think without distractions.

_"A bond-almost a bridge..."_

_But what did that _mean? she asked herself, frustrated with the fact that she was getting nowhere.

_'Rukia-sama, perhaps I may be able to help you?'_

Rukia's steps slowed to a stop as she heard her _zanpakuto's _voice echo in her head. _Sode no Shirayuki..._

_'I believe I know what he spoke of, Rukia-sama. You recall, I am sure, what happened when you gave your powers to Kurosaki Ichigo?'_

She remembered it far too well. The pain of her injuries; the surprise of finding such a spiritually-aware human; the realisation that if she did nothing, they would all die. The feeling of her blade piercing his heart-_just like _him_, just like before-_and the sudden, horrible emptiness of her inner world as all her reiatsu was drawn from her and Shirayuki's voice went silent.

_You... I gave you to him, didn't I._ It wasn't a question.

_'You did, Rukia-sama. For those few months you stayed with him, I lived within _both _of you. That is why I believe I may have an idea of how you can save him.'_

Rukia leaned against a nearby wall, biting her lip. _Just tell me what to do, Sode no Shirayuki. There's no one I trust more than you._

_'Trust,' _mused the spirit, and Rukia could picture her smiling. _'That's exactly what you'll need, Rukia-sama. You'll have to trust me, and you will also have to trust _him_."_

Rukia's breath hitched slightly, the feel of cold fingers on her skin almost tangible. _I'm going to have to work on that one,_ she said miserably. She had trusted him before, for things that were far more difficult than this, but that night-the realization that sometimes, Ichigo wasn't _Ichigo_ anymore-had shaken her resolve. Shaken her faith in Ichigo. And she hated both him and herself for that, in some small way.

Caught in her musing, she didn't notice someone standing in front of her until a hand touched her shoulder. Startled, she flinched away and reached for her sword, then realised who it was.

"Ishida," she gasped, heart pounding.

He gave her a strange look. "Are you all right, Kuchiki-san? You haven't seemed yourself for the past week or so. I asked Inoue-san, and she said that you'd been in some sort of fight, but she didn't know the details." Frowning slightly, he studied her face. "It's something to do with Kurosaki, isn't it?"

Closing her eyes, Rukia nodded once.

"Do you... want to talk about it?"

Her eyes flew open again. She'd always seen Ishida as calculating and slightly cold, likely because of his long-held views about Shinigami and Quincy relations. She had, however, noticed a softer side upon occasion, always directed toward Inoue.

Until now.

The look in his eyes was open and honest, and she found that she did need someone to talk to about her new-found worries.

Turning, she spotted a _yakitori _vendor down the street and gestured toward him. "Let's get something to eat, Ishida." Smiling slightly, she added, "I'm buying."

She could swear his lips turned up in an answering smile, for just a moment, as he took in her Shinigami outfit, with its convenient lack of pockets. Not to mention the fact that the shopkeeper wouldn't see her, and she only had _kan_ to pay with. "Well, then, how can I refuse?"

xx

"...Well, I suppose that explains why Kurosaki's been acting so depressed lately."

The two of them sat side by side on a bench in the nearby park, watching children chase each other, shouting and laughing. Ishida had chosen this location because of the amount of noise they were making; no one was likely to notice a teenage boy sitting on a bench talking to himself. Rukia was grateful for this; she hadn't wanted to go back to the Kurosaki clinic to retrieve her _gigai_, afraid that she might meet Ichigo on her way. Everything about him was becoming far too complicated lately, and Ishida's dry, matter-of-fact way of speaking seemed to be just what she'd needed to begin sorting things out.

Rukia sighed, running her fingers idly over Sode no Shirayuki's hilt. "You could say that, yes," she replied.

Ishida frowned, leaning slightly closer. "And Urahara-san? What did he say?"

Rukia hesitated, wondering if she should be telling him all this, but seeing as she'd already given him most of the story, she might as well finish it. "We both got the same advice from him: we have to work together to defeat the hollow."

Ishida nodded, as if he'd been expecting this. "And you're afraid."

"Ye-no-yes, a little," she admitted. "Not _of_ Ichigo, but _for_ him. And... I'm afraid for myself, too," she added, voice sinking to a whisper.

Ishida's frown deepened.

"_Kuchiki-san_," he said, and the intensity of his voice startled her. "You need to have more faith."

She looked up, unsure of what he meant.

"I know you're aware of what Kurosaki has done, Kuchiki-san. How much he risked to save you-regaining his powers, achieving Bankai, fighting half of Soul Society-and how much he gained because of it. In my experience, he's never made the wrong choice when protecting those he cares about."

He sat back, his pose relaxed. "And neither have you, Kuchiki-san. I have faith that the two of you can handle whatever you put your minds to."

Rukia gaped at him, stunned at the confidence he projected.

_'Do you see now, Rukia-sama?'_ asked the soft voice in her mind. _'All of them-[Urahara-sama, Ishida-sama, Inoue-sama, Karin-sama]-they all believe that you can save him. Even _he_ believes it, Rukia-sama. So why can't _you_ believe it?'_

Rukia dropped her gaze to her lap, lip trembling but eyes dry. _Thank you. All of you._

"Thank you, Ishida," she whispered.

She could practically _hear _him smile at her. "It was nothing, Kuchiki-san."

xx

Ishiruki is so dang cute. Too bad I can't write anything but Ichiruki without major problems... Sigh.


	5. Chapter 5

Posting this one a bit later than I was expecting, but it required a good bit of rewriting, since I wrote it on the first day of NaNoWriMo last year and hadn't looked at it since. Eep. But the plot is finally moving along, and it all gets better from here.

xx

The sun was beginning to sink behind the taller buildings to the west as Rukia, lost in thought, rounded the corner of Ichigo's street. The clinic came into view, and looking at the familiar building, she began to get the feeling that she'd forgotten something.

As she was in Shinigami form, she went around to the side of the house, intending to jump through Ichigo's window as she usually did. Glancing up, she assured herself that it was open, and bent her knees in preparation.

She was about to leap onto the sill when she heard a strange sound-like a strangled squeak-behind her. She spun, almost losing her balance as she reached for the hilt of her sword, then relaxed her guard as she spotted a small yellow figure lying on the ground behind her.

Kon leapt to his feet. padded over to her, and jumped onto her leg, hugging it with all his plushy might. "Nee-san!" he cried, soaking the leg of her _hakama_ with crocodile tears. "Nee-san, it's really you! At last!"

Scowling, Rukia kicked as hard as she could, dislodging the strange little animal from her hakama. He flew through the air, hit a tree, and bounced, coming to rest a metre or so from Rukia. It was then that she noticed the... modifications.

Long black eyelashes surrounded his button eyes. His torso was covered with hearts and flowers. Whiskers spread across his cheeks, and a crudely drawn bunny competed for space with the Quincy symbol on the back of his head.

With a sinking feeling, she realised what she had forgotten.

"Where is she now, Kon?" Rukia asked, shaking her head. Looking him over, she had to fight back the impulse to smirk. Chappy had really done a number on her fellow _gikongan_.

"Still up there with Ichigo," he told her, whimpering. "But Nee-san, what about..."

Sighing, she picked him up. "I suppose you'll have to go in the washer," she said, wrinkling her nose. She could remove his _gikongan_ from the stuffed lion, then sneak the plushie into Yuzu's next load of laundry...

"But Nee-san, I was hoping that _you _could give me a bath!" he said, struggling to leap out of her arms and onto her chest.

On second thought, she could always leave him _in _the plushie before putting it in the washer...

xx

Rukia leapt into the room, holding Kon by the scruff of his neck so he couldn't reach her chest. She landed silently on Ichigo's bed, surveying the scene before her with surprise. Ichigo sat at his desk, tapping his pencil on the sheet of math homework they'd been handed that morning. Chappy, meanwhile, was sprawled on the floor on her stomach, kicking her legs in the air and drawing carefully in a colouring book. With crayons, Rukia noted thankfully; Ichigo had likely taken the markers away from her after what she'd done to Kon.

Chappy looked up excitedly as Rukia stood up. "Rukia-sama!" she said excitedly. "Okaeri-pyon!"

Rukia couldn't help but smile at the soul's cheerful attitude. "Did you behave while I was gone?" she asked, stepping over to look at the bright pictures in the book.

Chappy nodded, grinning. "I liked the markers!" she said. "Even more than crayons. But the crayons have a lot more colours, pyon."

Rukia grinned back. "I'm glad you enjoyed them," she said, absently tossing Kon into the corner of the room-where he proceeded to curl up into a ball, no doubt attempting to hide from Chappy-then held up her hand. Chappy mirrored the gesture; as their hands met, Rukia felt herself sink back into the confines of her gigai. Rolling her shoulders, she gently coughed the small green pill into her hand and pocketed it. Only then did she look at Ichigo.

He'd been watching the whole exchange, an odd smile on his face. When she looked over, unsure of how he would react, the smile widened slightly. "I have to admit, she's a lot better behaved when she's not trying to rip my arm off. And I did enjoy watching her deal with Kon." His smile faltered, and he glanced away, awkwardly scratching the side of his head. "Sooo... What did Urahara say?"

Rukia was still slightly apprehensive about the idea Shirayuki had given her, but she knew that she had to at least _try_ it. Steeling herself, she stepped closer to him.

"Ichigo," she said softly, "do you trust me?"

Startled, Ichigo looked up at her face. Whatever he saw there seemed to reassure him, although he still looked worried.

"Of course I do," he said, just as quietly. "With my life."

"But with your soul?"

His response was stronger now. "Yes," he said. "Always."

She took another step; she was now face-to-face with him as he sat in the desk chair. _Sode no Shirayuki? _she called silently.

_I am ready, Rukia-sama._

Taking a deep breath, she placed a hand on either side of Ichigo's head and leaned forward until their foreheads touched. She closed her eyes, ignoring the surprise she saw in his face, and _pushed._

For a moment, she felt herself standing in a snowdrift, a chill breeze whipping across her face. Then the wind calmed, and she opened her eyes again.

Rukia gasped at the sight before her.

The sky was _sideways_.

xx

Rukia took a hesitant step across the strange landscape, staring around at the space around her with awe. Clouds drifted gently upward, reflected in what seemed to be thousands of mirrors stretched out before her. Her _waraji_ scraped across concrete, smooth and featureless. Turning to her right, she saw a distant wall of green stretching to some unknown ceiling, with long, dark lines stretched across it.

She frowned, wondering at the odd landscape, and then insight flashed within her mind. _The sky is sideways,_ she thought. _What if everything else is, too?_

She tilted her head, trying to readjust her worldview, and everything fell into place. The wall of green was grass; the lines were roads. The concrete she stood on was... yes, the side of a building, a skyscraper taller than any she had ever seen. And the mirrors were _windows._

Walking to the nearest, she leaned over and looked into it, wondering what sort of building this was. The view was oddly distant, and the angle was wrong, but she recognised it as some sort of dojo. Within it were children, the first people she'd seen in this strange place.

_But if this is Ichigo's mind, why are there children?_

She leaned closer, crouching next to the window and peering down into the room. As she watched, a door opened in the wall, and two figures walked inside.

One of them was a familiar woman, tall and pretty, with wavy golden-brown hair. And the other...

_"Oh,"_ she whispered, understanding now.

She watched the memory-Ichigo walk into the dojo. He couldn't be more than five or six years old, but his hair was just as impossibly bright as it was now. He smiled with childish abandon, holding the hand of the woman-Ichigo's mother, she knew, for she had seen her face on Isshin's memorial posters. Seen her figure months ago, on a rainy June afternoon.

She had never seen Ichigo smile like that.

A small, black-haired girl ran over to the pair, and Rukia, startled, looked down at a six-year-old Arisawa Tatsuki. The memory-figure said something to Ichigo, grinning widely, and he frowned momentarily at her before turning and giving his mother a hug. She left the room, waving goodbye, and the children moved onto a mat near the wall, pulled on protective gear, and began to spar. Rukia smiled; Ichigo managed to hold his own for about three seconds before Tatsuki hit him in the chest with a solid punch. The small boy looked stunned for a moment, then sat down heavily, screwed up his face, and began to cry.

Chuckling softly, Rukia shook her head, pulling her attention away from the scene and back to the matter at hand. Watching Ichigo's childhood memories was interesting, it was true, but it wouldn't help her solve the current problem. And it seemed somehow wrong, to look through Ichigo's past without his permission. She'd promised not to ask him about it until he was ready to tell her, and she didn't intend to break that promise.

Straightening, she turned to look around her, stretching her senses to discover where to go next. She hadn't been sure that she would even be able to reach Ichigo's inner world, despite Sode no Shirayuki's assurances.

A flutter of movement to her left caught her eye, and she turned toward it. For a moment, she thought she had imagined it; the skyline looked just the same in that direction as it did everywhere else. As she stared, however, she saw a glint of light run along something that seemed to be protruding from the side of one of the distant buildings.

She had no idea what it could be, but it was the only difference in her surroundings. Running to the edge of her current building, she leaped to the next one, hoping for something that would help her understand the situation.

As she neared the strange object, it resolved into a long metal pole, stuck randomly into the side of the wall. She jumped across the final gap between herself and her target, then walked cautiously up to the pole. She stared at it for a moment, then looked around her. She had been sure there had been someone here, glimpsed out of the corner of her eye, but there was nowhere in this place to hide, and nothing here but the pole.

Rukia scowled, frustrated by the lack of anything useful, then turned and sat down with her back to the pole. Sighing, she stared up at the sideways clouds. _I'm beginning to think it was pointless for me to come here..._

Light flashed across her face for a moment, making her wince and cover her eyes. When it subsided, she looked around for the source; seeing movement, she glanced down. Set into the concrete beside her was another window, memories playing across its surface. _Maybe what I saw was this window, reflected in the metal?_

Despite her earlier misgivings, Rukia found herself peering into the window. After all, _something_ had led her to this place. Maybe what she was looking for was here, in this memory.

The scenery within was familiar, even if the scene itself was not. She instantly recognised the underground training room at the Urahara Shoten, but Urahara himself seemed to be the one using it; he was holding Benihime, and she watched him _shun'po_ across the dirt, bringing the sword down upon a large rock formation.

A black-clad figure tumbled out from behind it and rolled to a standing position. Ichigo ran, panicked, away from Urahara, who advanced mercilessly upon the boy. Rukia frowned down at the image, looking at the sword that Ichigo held. Her lips parted in a surprised gasp as she saw the pattern of the _tsuba_.

It was the same pattern as Sode no Shirayuki's, and Rukia now knew what Ichigo's mind was trying to tell her.

_"Zangetsu,"_ she whispered.

A rustle of robes sounded from behind her, and Rukia looked up.

There was someone standing on the pole.

Startled, Rukia pushed herself up, turning to face the figure who had appeared behind her. Her hand twitched toward her sword, but something within her stopped it; somehow, she knew that this was someone she could trust completely.

The man standing on the metal pole seemed ageless. Dark sunglasses covered his eyes; long black hair and long black robes rippled in the wind, although the air around Rukia was still. He inclined his head at her, a gesture of respect.

"So you've come," he said, his voice warm and rough. "She told me that you would."

Rukia turned toward him and bent at the waist, arms stiffly at her sides. "I apologise for the intrusion," she said softly, in her best noble tone.

She could have sworn she heard the spirit chuckle. "There is no need to apologise," he told her, a hint of amusement in his voice. "Especially not from you."

Rukia raised her head, confused. "What do you mean?" she asked, feeling as if she should already know the answer.

"Because," he said, "you belong here, with him, just as much as I do."

"Destiny," she mused, and he smiled at her for just a moment.

"That may be, but in the end, does it matter? However, _why_ever it happened, the two of you are forever connected. You complete each other-black and white, warm and cold, sun and moon."

Rukia paused for a moment before speaking again. "And... the other?"

Zangetsu grimaced, looking off into the distance. "You must remember, he is not truly evil. He is a manifestation of Ichigo's strongest desires. He acts as he does because he was born from hate and fear and pain, emotions that Ichigo struggles with just as everyone must. And these emotions are strong. But he was also brought forth out of love, and hope, and the need to protect that which is precious. Your task, then, is to remind him of his birthright as a part of the One Who Protects."

"I don't know how." Her voice was a whisper, and she remembered the leering bone-white mask, smooth and hard beneath her fingertips.

"But you will," he said, and when she looked up again he was gone.

xx

Next week I'll likely be posting an omake, as well as another oneshot; expect the regular updates to be coming every two weeks from now on, with oneshots on the off-weeks. I have quite a few to put up; all of them will involve Rukia somehow, either as a main or supporting character, because I'm obsessive like that. I hope you'll like reading them as much as I liked writing them.

Love you all!


	6. Omake

xx

BONUS CHAPTER

_It's all stupid Ichigo's fault, _Kon decided.

He felt the subtle vibrations around him shift in intensity and cursed, rolling himself into a tight ball and holding on tight to a grass-stained tee-shirt as the washer started the rinse cycle. Coughing, he spat out a mouthful of suds and whimpered.

After all, if Ichigo hadn't been having so many problems lately, Rukia-nee-san wouldn't have had to run off and leave that horrible Chappy soul in her perfect body, and he wouldn't have been left alone with the unsympathetic Ichigo and the terrifying Yuzu as his only other companions. Clearly, everything about his current predicament was Ichigo's fault.

He sniffled, hoping that Nee-san would go back to her own room that night instead of staying to help Ichigo, like she'd been doing so often lately. Then he could sneak in and spend the night comforting Nee-san, who would be sympathetic to his plight and hug him against her tiny relaxing chest...

He was so lost in thought that he barely noticed that the noise and rotation of the washing machine had stopped, but he was startled out of his pleasant imaginings by the sound of footsteps in the hallway.

_Please, please, please be Nee-san! Please come and comfort me and hug me and say how sorry you were to follow someone like Ichigo around!_

The door to the laundry room opened. And instead of his beautiful Nee-san's melodic voice, he heard something out of his worst nightmares.

"Oh good, the washer stopped!" piped Yuzu's cheerful voice.

Kon heard the lid of the washer open, and light flooded into his damp prison.

_Why, Kami-sama, why have you forsaken me?_

A small hand reached in and pulled him out, and no matter how hard he tried to hold on to the image of Nee-san, all he could hear was the gleeful cry of the girl holding him.

"Bostafu! I'm so glad I found you! Where have you _been_?"

When he got out of this, he decided, he was going to _murder_ Ichigo.

END BONUS CHAPTER

xx


	7. Chapter 6

This chapter is pretty much action-free, but I think the ending kinda makes up for it.

xx

Rukia was lost.

She looked around intently, hoping that Zangetsu would give her some idea as to how she could escape from Ichigo's crazy, mixed-up inner world, but no answer was forthcoming. She glanced into the surrounding windows, and found only mundane memories of school, meals, and random battles with hollows. She glared at the pole and considered kicking it, but knew that wouldn't be of any help.

Sighing, she walked to the very top of the skyscraper and glanced over the edge. The vertical roof stretched out before her, and beyond it dozens of identical buildings disappeared into the uncertain blue distance. The sight was dizzying, but she somehow knew that if she jumped off, she wouldn't be hurt. That wasn't how Ichigo's mind would work, even if it _was _twisted sideways.

She considered trying it, just to see what would happen, but decided to look for another way out first. Dangerous or not, it would still be disturbing to freefall into nothingness.

Turning, she headed to the other end of the building, where the concrete met grass. There might be a door she could try at the base...

Nearing the ground-wall, she spotted the expected door, off to her left at the edge of the wall. Steps quickening, she headed toward it. Kneeling at the edge, she leaned over and tried the knob.

Locked. Of _course._

Exasperated, she stood back up and turned slowly, scanning the scenery before her and wondering where to look next. She had made nearly a full turn before noticing something that struck her as odd: a shimmering pool of water lay at the edge of the building next to the one where she stood, set into the vertical ground.

Curiosity overtook her, and she jumped over to it without a second thought.

The pool was smooth and glassy with the absence of wind, mirroring its surroundings. But as she stepped closer, a ripple formed in the centre, as if she'd kicked a pebble into it. And as the water shivered, the reflection changed.

When it settled, the picture it showed was of Ichigo's bedroom. She could see his desk, the lamp, his CD player, the homework he'd been working on when she jumped through the window. Suddenly the view shifted, turning toward his bed. With a start of surprise, she saw her own form lying atop his blankets.

_I must be looking through Ichigo's eyes._

Hesitantly, she stepped closer to the water, putting up one hand to gently touch the surface.

For a moment, the water rippled just as it had before. But then the ripples spread, covering her vision, and everything faded to blackness.

xx

Rukia opened her eyes.

At first, all she could see was white. She blinked, and her surroundings came into focus. She was lying on Ichigo's bed, staring up at the ceiling.

Groaning, she sat up and rubbed her head. Behind her, she heard a clatter, as if Ichigo had dropped his pencil and bumped his chair in surprise.

"Rukia!" he said, and she turned toward him, her heart sinking as she noted the concern in his face and the tension in his body. _I must have worried him, collapsing like that after I touched him. I'm sorry, Ichigo..._

She considered trying to reassure him, but decided that the best course of action was to thoroughly distract him. So she glared at him, and asked, "Ichigo, why the hell is your inner world _sideways?_"

He had started toward the bed, but now came to a sudden halt, clearly dumbfounded. She fought back a laugh, but kept the glare firmly on her face.

Ichigo spluttered, seeming temporarily speechless. "I have no freakin' clue!" he finally said. "_Ossan _won't tell me. He just kinda... stares wisely off into the distance whenever I ask."

Rukia stopped trying to fight the smile threatening to spread across her face. "I can see that," she said.

Ichigo's eyes narrowed. "Wait a minute, is that what you did? You went into my head, didn't you! Don't you know how worried I was when you just collapsed like that!" His voice sounded more upset the more he spoke, and Rukia's amusement faded into irritation; she sighed, rolling her eyes. She'd known he would react like this, but it was still annoying to have him yell at her. They'd been together for so long; couldn't he trust her to know what she was doing?

"I had to, _tawake,_ if I was going to have any hope of helping you with the... problems... we've had recently." She hopped off the bed, folding her arms over her chest and glaring anew.

Ichigo looked ready to yell at her some more, but bit back whatever response he had prepared for her and glanced away. Deflating somewhat, he muttered, "Yeah, whatever. Just... don't do something like that again without warning me, Rukia. I was... I was afraid that something had happened to you."

She bit her lip, her frustration ebbing in the face of his serious statement. "I apologise, Ichigo. I just... wasn't sure, when I tried it, whether it would actually work or not. It was an idea that Sode no Shirayuki had after I talked to Urahara."

He looked up at her again, concern deepening the usual lines on his forehead. "What _did_ he say? You never answered me earlier, you just... jumped into my head," he said, still sounding a bit sore about it.

She scowled. "He wasn't very helpful, to tell you the truth. All he said was that the two of us have a bond, and we have to use that against your hollow." She paused, then said, "But I'm not sure he even knows what we should do, in this case. Zangetsu said..."

"Well?" Ichigo asked, as she paused, searching for the right way to say this to him without upsetting him any more than he already was.

"He told me," she said slowly, "that the-that your hollow wasn't truly evil, but that he doesn't know how to feel anything but hate. And he said that we... we need to show him that he can feel something more than hate."

Ichigo stared at her for a moment, then turned away, puffing out his breath in a humourless laugh. "Right," he said cynically. "So we just need to go in there and teach that sadistic bastard about love and friendship and he'll just go 'Oh, how wrong I was!' and we'll all be friends? Somehow, I don't think that's gonna work, Rukia."

Rukia's scowl deepened as she watched him pace across the room. "Shut up, Ichigo. I'm only telling you what Zangetsu told me. Do you want to go and question his advice to his face? I'd love to watch."

Ichigo growled, but settled down. Stalking over to his desk, he spun the chair around and sat heavily, reminding Rukia irresistibly of the memory she'd watched earlier. She stifled a sudden laugh; his angry face and his sad face weren't very different, after all.

Ichigo quirked an eyebrow at her muffled giggle. She decided he was better off not knowing exactly why she found him amusing.

Crossing back over to his bed, she sat down on the comforter and rested her chin on her hands. "So, what are we going to do? If we wait for him to confront us himself, it'll probably just end up like last time: you trapped in his mind, and..." She decided not to finish the sentence; neither one of them needed any more of a reminder of what had happened.

Ichigo sighed, slumping down in his chair. "I don't know, Rukia. I really don't know."

They sat in silence for a long time after that.

xx

Ichigo lay in his bed late that night, restless, unsettled, exhausted, and completely unable to sleep. Rukia had departed for the twins' room at least an hour ago, muttering something about "not exciting his father", and he hadn't protested. Rukia's intrusion into his mind had worried him more than he'd let on. It wasn't that he didn't trust her, he'd been sure to make that clear to her.

It was that he didn't trust _himself._

He knew firsthand how hazardous his mind could be. Nearly every time he'd entered his inner world, it had ended in a battle of one kind or another. And he'd already subjected Rukia to enough crap during the past few weeks.

And there was something else, something he didn't really want to think about. After all, his inner world was a reflection of himself, his thoughts and hopes and fears. And he was a little afraid of what she might have seen in there.

Had she seen anything that might have told her how he felt about her? That he didn't just like her as a friend, or a partner, but as... what? He didn't even know how to define it, he just knew the word that went along with it. _Love._

But that sounded trite, and stupid, and there was no way she would reciprocate his feelings. And so he was afraid that if she found out how he really thought about her, she would want to leave. It would break up their partnership. Which would break him, too.

He sighed, rolling over and staring out his window. A few stars glittered through the haze outside, and he could see a sliver of moon, half-hidden by clouds. He stared dully at it, wondering why he always seemed to mess up the lives of the people he cared about.

_Ichigo,_ whispered a voice in his head.

Ichigo yelped and bolted upright, almost falling out of bed in his panic. Belatedly, the realisation kicked in that the voice hadn't been that of the hollow.

_Zangetsu?_ he whispered mentally, blushing slightly at his reaction.

_You should talk to her, _the old man said.

Ichigo scowled. _You're not going to tell me anything about what happened in there, are you._ His tone made it clear that it wasn't a question; he knew far too well what his sword-spirit was like.

Zangetsu sounded amused at this. _If I did, Ichigo, would you learn? _Ichigo rolled his eyes. _Talk to her, Ichigo. The two of you have a bond, as she told you. It's time that you learn how to use it._

He had to admit, Zangetsu did have a point. (a/n: ack! no pun intended, I swear!) Pushing Rukia away would make her safer, it was true, but it would not make her happy. And he cared about her enough to try, for her sake.

_Yeah, yeah,_ he grumbled, but he couldn't help smiling a little. It was nice to have someone that wise on your side.

A sudden creak in the hallway caught his attention; he turned toward the door just in time to see it open. Sure enough, Rukia slipped through the doorway, dressed in Yuzu's old, faded flannel pyjamas. She blinked blearily at him for a moment, then ducked her head in a quick bow, looking embarrassed.

"Sorry," she whispered. "I just... can't sleep in there."

He nodded acceptance of this. "It's fine, don't worry about it."

She turned and closed the door, then slid open the closet and climbed onto the shelf inside. Instead of shutting the door or lying down, however, she sat cross-legged on the blankets and leaned out slightly. "Ichigo..." she said hesitantly, as though afraid he would be upset with her.

He looked up at her. "What is it, Rukia? Is something wrong?"

She bowed again, hair falling to hide her face. "I'm sorry I went into your mind without asking you first," she said softly. "I had no right to do that."

Startled, Ichigo said the first thing on his mind. "Of course you had the right. After all, you're the reason that place exists, and I wouldn't have it any other way."

She raised her head, looking just as startled. "Do you really mean that, Ichigo?"

He bit his lip. _Don't let her know, _his instincts screamed, but he knew that he owed her something. _More like, owed her everything._ And so he nodded, and whispered, "Of course. You're more important to me than anyone else, Rukia. If anyone has the right to touch my soul, it's you."

Her lips curved into a slightly melancholy smile. "Thank you, Ichigo. You don't know how much I needed to hear that."

Ichigo suddenly felt warm, too warm, as though he were blushing madly. He hoped that if he was, she wouldn't be able to tell, as he was silhouetted against the window. He felt a sudden urge to tell her everything, let it fall as it may and pick up the pieces later. Taking a deep breath, for courage, he said, "Rukia, I... you... I think..."

He was stuttering like a fool, he knew, but he couldn't help it. Try as he might, he just couldn't get the words out. Frustrated, he exhaled, and defaulted to another, safer statement, cursing himself for his utter stupidity. He'd almost ruined everything...

"W-what did Zangetsu talk to you about, while you were in there?"

She tilted her head, no doubt confused by his odd behaviour, but let it pass without comment. "I already told you most of it," she said. "He says that we need to.. to 'remind him of his birthright as part of the One who Protects.' I would assume that's you," she said wryly, with a half-smile. Her amused air faded, and she looked thoughtful. And a bit worried, he thought. "And he said..."

She paused; Ichigo remained silent, not wanting to interrupt her. "He said... that the two of us are connected. Forever."

Ichigo's heart seemed to be having trouble. He'd never felt it beat this hard before, except perhaps during various life-or-death battles . "Connected... how?"

Rukia remained silent, looking down on him from her perch. Suddenly, as if acting on impulse, she hopped down, crossing the dark bedroom in three swift strides until she was right in front of him.

Leaning down, she brushed her lips gently against his.

And before Ichigo could even register what had just happened, she was already back in his closet, the door shut firmly behind her.

There was _definitely_ no way he was getting to sleep tonight, he decided numbly.

xx

Muahahaha. It's about time.

Next chapter is the last of the 'calm before the storm' chapters; after that, the real fun begins, so stay tuned. Hope you enjoyed!


	8. Chapter 7

Sorry for the delay; my beta spent all of last week critiquing a 12,000 word novel prequel for one of our writing group friends, and she goes in for surgery tomorrow, so my updates might be a little sporadic until we get things sorted out. This is kind of an interlude chapter, but it's still got some nice stuff in it, as long as you're fond of fluffiness...

xx

Ichigo went through his preparations for school the next day in a daze, not even tasting his breakfast as he bolted it down. Rukia had and left already, probably to walk with Inoue, but a part of him didn't mind. He still needed time to process what had happened last night.

_She kissed me,_ he thought numbly, standing in the kitchen doorway, his half-eaten piece of toast all but forgotten. _I wasn't dreaming that, was I? She actually..._

He snapped out of it, realising that Karin was trying to get his attention. "What is it, Karin?"

She looked at him strangely. "I said, Mizuiro and Keigo are here to walk with you." She peered closely at his face. "Are you sure you're feeling okay? You look kinda... flushed."

Ichigo flushed further. "I'm fine, Ru-I mean, Karin. Just... got a lot of things on my mind, you know."

She stared at him for a moment longer, then smirked. "Riiiight," she said smugly. "And these 'things' wouldn't have anything to do with Rukia-chan sneaking out of our room sometime after midnight, would they?"

Ichigo's eyes widened, horrified. "What do you-no! Nothing happened! I mean, she just needed to ask me about something, that's all! For school!"

Karin's smile widened. "Yeah, sure, I believe you. Don't worry, I won't tell Goat-chin; the last thing we need is him getting involved with this."

Sputtering, Ichigo turned and bolted out the door, slamming it behind him. He could swear he heard Karin's evil laughter following him all the way to school.

xx

By lunchtime, Ichigo felt he had a pretty good idea of how Rukia felt when he'd been avoiding her earlier that week. He wondered why she hadn't gone up to him and smacked him after about day three; she'd only been ignoring him for six hours, and he was ready to snap.

He shot out of his seat as the lunch bell rang, but Rukia was faster; by the time he'd spotted her, she was already halfway out the door, Inoue and Tatsuki in tow. He cursed, starting to hurry after her, but was held up by Keigo suddenly jumping in front of him, brandishing a paper bag and grinning like a maniac-_which he is, to be honest_, Ichigo thought irritably.

"Iiiii-chiiiii-goooo!" Keigo sing-songed. "Why in such a hurry? Are you chasing after the beautiful and buxom Inoue-san? Tough and sassy Arisawa? Or could it be," he asked, waggling his eyebrows, "that you're going for sweet little Rukia-cha-"

Ichigo's fist met his face before Keigo could finish the sentence. "_Boke,_" he snarled. "What the heck makes you think I'm chasing anyone? I'm just hungry, dammit."

Leaving Keigo behind, he brushed past Mizuiro, who was playing with his cellphone and grinning at the scene, and fled out the classroom door, hoping he was still in time to find Rukia.

Pausing in the hallway, he glanced both ways, but she was long gone by now. Muttering about killing a certain one of his friends, he took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and thought about Rukia_._

He sucked at sensing _reiatsu,_ he knew, but his perception of Rukia was different from any other. He'd known her for so long, and so closely, that he could always sense her. Spreading out his awareness, he searched for the elusive chill that accompanied her, sweet and refreshing, like the first hint of snow on a crisp fall day.

_Oh, man,_ he thought wryly. _You've got it bad, Ichigo._

He stilled as the hint of her presence brushed across his senses. She was outside; now that he was feeling for it, he sensed Inoue and Tatsuki there with her. Wheeling around, he headed down the stairs and out the front door, still wondering what the heck he was going to say when he got there.

Rounding the corner of the building, he spotted them sitting under a tree by the school fence. The other girls they usually sat with were nowhere to be seen, and the three appeared to be deep in conversation. Pausing just out of sight, he leaned against the wall and considered what he might say to Rukia.

_Rukia, we need to talk_ sounded far too serious. _Rukia, have you got a minute?_ was too casual. _So, Rukia, about last night..._ yeah, he wasn't even going to go there. But before he could think of anything else, he saw Inoue look up suddenly. Was she... sniffing the air?

_Oh, crap. _Turning, he started to walk rapidly away, but was brought up short by Inoue's call of "Ku-ro-sa-ki-kuuuun!" Sighing, he turned back around and headed toward the little group. Inoue smiled brightly as he approached, Tatsuki gave him a suspicious glance, and Rukia busied herself with pulling a juice box out of her bag and fussing with the straw, pointedly not looking at him.

"Yo, Inoue, Tatsuki, Rukia. What's up?" he asked, trying to sound casual.

Inoue clapped her hands excitedly. "I noticed you going past, and I wanted you to try my new culinary invention!" she said cheerfully. "Deep-fried red-bean onigiri! They're really good!"

Rukia glanced up then, smirking slightly. "They really are, Kurosaki-kun," she said in her most sickeningly-sweet voice. "You should try one, Inoue-san worked so hard on them!" Tatsuki rolled her eyes at this exchange, but even she seemed slightly amused.

Ichigo hesitated, but there seemed to be no good way out of this situation. Apprehensively, he sat down next to her, picked one up, and took a tentative bite.

He blinked, surprised. "That's actually pretty good, Inoue. Thanks."

She cheered, startling him, then jumped to her feet. "Glad to hear it! Now I just need to find Ishida-kun, he hasn't had a chance to try them yet!" Giggling, she grabbed Tatsuki's hand, pulled her to her feet, and rushed her off. He watched them go, confused, and saw Tatsuki shoot him an evil grin as she ran off and abandoned him, leaving Ichigo and Rukia alone under the tree.

It was funny, he thought, how he'd been searching so hard for her, and now he just wanted to get up and run away too.

Blushing faintly (_dammit, when had he gotten so sensitive about this?_), he finally turned to glance at Rukia, and found her already looking at him, a soft smile on her face. "Thanks for doing that," she said. "Inoue really wanted you to like those."

He could swear his cheeks were burning. "Well, I don't want to upset her, you know. She's a nice girl."

Rukia looked toward the building; the two girls were out of sight by now. "She is, isn't she." Her voice sounded melancholy.

She glanced back at him just as Ichigo worked up the courage to speak. "So, why did-" he started, just as Rukia said, "What are we-"

They both stopped speaking. Rukia opened her hand and gestured toward him, _you first,_ but Ichigo shook his head. Anything to keep from having to start the discussion.

Rukia shrugged, then continued. "Have you thought, yet, about what we're going to do? About... your hollow?"

He'd been trying to think, it was true, but he'd been rather distracted all day. "Well... I guess we could go over to Urahara's; even if he can't help, we'd be able to use the training area downstairs for... for anything we wanted to try."

She looked thoughtful. "That's actually a good idea. If nothing else, it would mean there was someone else there in case of... emergencies."

"That's true," he agreed, not sure what else he could safely say.

Rukia glanced up, a mischievous glint in her eyes, and Ichigo's _oh crap_ detectors started blinking.

"Of course, you know this means I'll probably have to enter your head again. I didn't get much of a chance to look around last time, but I saw enough to know there's some great stuff in there. Tatsuki was really cute when she beat your face into the mat, you know."

Ichigo spluttered, lost for words for at least the third time that day. Why did it seem like all his friends were teaming up to embarrass him?

She smirked at him for a moment longer, but then she glanced away, the mischief fading from her face. "Ichigo..."

He knew, somehow, that she was worried about what she had done last night, and he didn't have the heart to mess with her. So he did the only thing he could think of; he scooted closer to her on the grass, leaned in, and returned the kiss.

It was nothing much, just a simple press of his lips against hers. But as he sat back and looked at her, it seemed like he'd given her the world. _His _world.

"We're in this together, remember?" he said softly. "Connected forever."

And for the first time in a long time, a true smile lit her face.

"Forever," she agreed, eyes sparkling.

The end-of-lunch bell rang; he helped her up, and they walked back into the school building. Together.

xx

Next up: we finally see an old friend again! Muahahahaha!


	9. Chapter 8

I'm terribly sorry for abandoning you all like this. I knew that I wouldn't be able to post during NaNo (where I wrote another 50k words of fanfic, for D Gray-Man this time), but I was not expecting Real Life to kick me in the butt so terribly. Things have finally slowed down now, and I hope to be able to start up a semiregular posting schedule again. Love you all!

xx

"Are you sure you want to do this?"

Ichigo glanced at the strange rock formations surrounding them, reassuring himself that nothing would go wrong. Rukia was going to re-enter his mind and look around some more, and this time he would be with her. With any luck, they would be able to plot out a further course of action from there.

"We don't have much of a choice, do we?" he asked rhetorically, setting Zangetsu next to him as he sat down on the hard-packed dirt. She sat down next to him, delicately laying Sode no Shirayuki at her feet.

"I suppose not," she sighed. "Well, let's get it over with."

Turning to face him, she put her hands on either side of his head again, leaning in just as she had last time. But instead of resting her forehead against his, she tilted her head to the side and kissed him. Hard.

As the world dissolved, Ichigo thought idly that he could definitely get used to this.

xx

He reopened his eyes to find himself lying on one of the buildings in his inner world. Turning, he saw Rukia next to him, already pushing herself into a standing position. He followed suit, gazing about the familiar landscape.

What struck him most were the clouds. Recently, the sky here had been clouded over, constantly threatening rain. Now, the skies were blue, stretching as far as he could see.

Almost.

Off in the distance, he could see a dark gray shape like a massive thundercloud. He scowled at the oppressive image; clearly, his anxiety over the situation had not been completely dispelled by... recent events.

"So, what now?" asked Rukia quietly, gazing around herself with interest.

"Now we go talk to _Ossan_. He owes me an explanation." He turned around, orienting himself, then leaped off the side of the building and onto the one next to it, heading off to the familiar flagpole with Rukia at his side.

Rukia gave him a quizzical glance as they reached the building in question. "Ichigo," she said, "why does your spirit live in a metal pole?"

Ichigo rolled his eyes. "Don't ask me. I've never understood anything about that guy."

He reached out and touched the metal, sun-warmed although no sun was ever in sight. _Zangetsu,_ he called silently. _We're here._

He heard Rukia, off to his left, gasp. Startled, he turned toward her, following her gaze.

Well, _this _was unexpected.

Standing before the two of them was the familiar form of the old man, gazing almost proudly at the Shinigami before him. And to his right...

Her skin was pale, her hair and eyes icy blue. She was wearing a long, elaborate kimono; the pure white fabric almost seemed to glow. And the air around her carried the same chill he had come to associate with Rukia.

"Sode no... Shirayuki..." Rukia whispered from next to him, taking a hesitant step forward.

The pale woman smiled as Rukia came toward her, slipping her arms around the girl's shoulders and pulling her into a hug. "I'm very proud of you, Rukia-sama," she said, her voice soft and lilting.

Ichigo looked at Zangetsu, startled, but the old man was gazing at the pair of them, lips curving upward almost imperceptibly.

"So," said Sode no Shirayuki as Rukia stepped back, eyes wide with awe, "we have all gathered here at last. Are you ready, then, to confront him?"

Ichigo and Rukia exchanged a slightly guilty look. "Well..." he said, embarrassed, "we were kinda... going for reconnaissance, here."

"We need more information," Rukia agreed nervously.

The two spirits looked at each other. "All we can tell you is this," said Zangetsu. "We will not be able to accompany you; the two of you will have to proceed on your own. And you must find a way to use your bond to overcome him, before he devours you both."

"We will support you, as best we can," put in Shirayuki. "We shall lend you our strength."

Ichigo swallowed. "So... do we have to do this now?"

She frowned at him. "No, you do not, but sooner would definitely be better than later. If you wait for him to finish his preparations, he may be able to overpower you before you have a chance to fight back."

"I'm ready," spoke up Rukia unexpectedly, looking at her spirit with determined eyes. Sode no Shirayuki turned to look at her and inclined her head.

"I believe you are, Rukia-sama. But is he?"

Rukia glanced at Ichigo, her gaze questioning.

"Does it matter if I'm ready?" he asked, looking at Zangetsu. "We have to do this, whether I'm ready or not."

The old man _smiled_, bowing toward Ichigo just as Shirayuki had to Rukia. "Then we will leave you to it," he said. The two spirits turned to one another, smiled, and faded out of sight.

Ichigo blew out a breath. "Well, that was weird," he said.

Rukia smiled. "And rather unexpected," she agreed.

"Sooo... are we going now, or what?"

Rukia turned toward the thunderhead in the distance, her face set, and placed her hand on Sode no Shirayuki's hilt.

"Let's go teach your hollow the meaning of 'friendship'."

She jumped off the building. Ichigo followed, laughing so hard he could barely keep up.

xx

As they approached the distant stormcloud, the air around them grew darker, colder. A feeling of apprehension gathered around them from all sides; half-formed, half-seen shadows lurked on the edges of their vision. Rukia shivered; it felt like the shadows were watching them, as if she would see a pair of sickly yellow eyes glinting maliciously at her if she just managed to turn fast enough to keep up with them.

Ichigo glanced over at her worriedly. "You still okay, Rukia?"

She shook off the feeling. "No problem. Let's keep going." She pushed ahead of him, resolutely ignoring the unsettled atmosphere.

Rukia knew that if their endeavour were to succeed, she would have to stop thinking of the hollow as a monster. But it was difficult, especially now, to keep the memories of their last encounter from resurfacing. Cruel words, cruel actions, torn flesh and spilt blood, deathly promises and soft caresses...

"Rukia?" came Ichigo's worried voice out of the fog around her, snapping her out of the reverie. She shook her head fiercely to clear it, biting her lip in hope that the pain would distract her from unnecessary thoughts. More than ever, she wished that Sode no Shirayuki could have accompanied her, at least in physical form; she could use the sword-spirit's calm, quiet strength right now. She settled for wrapping her hand around the smooth white hilt, gripping it tightly.

She couldn't help the bitter thought that if it came down to using her sword, she would probably have already lost.

The thunderhead loomed over them, so very close now. As they approached it, wind began to whip around them, tugging at Rukia's hair and clothing. It felt disturbingly like cold fingers trailing across her face, her arms, and she could barely keep herself from shuddering at the contact. She felt, stronger than ever, the sensation of someone watching her.

"He knows we're here," she heard Ichigo's quiet murmur from beside her. Rukia had to agree.

She began to hear odd noises now: whispers with no identifiable source; muted laughter; distant screams, like a television left forgotten in another room. Tuned to a horror movie channel, she thought peevishly. It was obvious by now that the hollow was trying to unsettle them, to turn the tables in his favour before the game had even begun. Rukia kept walking forward resolutely; without looking at her companion, she muttered, "Ichigo, your inner world really kinda _sucks_."

He chuckled grimly. "Yeah, I've been meaning to do some redecorating in here."

The corners of Rukia's mouth turned up. Making a swift decision, she reached out and grabbed his hand.

He jerked, startled, but didn't resist as she twined her fingers with his. He was probably as unsettled as she was, and grateful for the contact by now. It helped her to remember that there was something outside of this place, somewhere with sunshine and laughter and stolen kisses on the school lawn.

_And if we get our way,_ she suddenly realised, _the hollow will know that too. Maybe then, this place won't be so bad._

She rather liked the thought of that.

The air around them now was so dark that they could barely make out the edges of the buildings. Abruptly, a flash of lightning lit the scene.

Silhouetted against the sky some thirty metres before them was a human figure.

Ichigo and Rukia came to a stop, and Ichigo automatically flung out his arm to protect Rukia. She didn't have the heart to protest his action; the hollow's appearance had thrown them both off guard, despite the fact that they had been expecting it. Rukia was aware that somehow, despite the atmosphere, she had been subconsciously hoping they wouldn't be able to find the hollow and would have to try again later. Now there was nothing to do but go forward, hoping desperately that they could find a way to get through to him before he overpowered them. And Rukia knew instinctively that he would aim for her first.

She stiffened as the hollow began to laugh.

"What a joke!" he yelled gleefully. "Ki~iiing, did you bring me a _present?_"

Ichigo started forward angrily, but Rukia grabbed the sleeve of his _kosode_ and held him back. "We're not supposed to fight him, remember?" she hissed.

He turned to look at her, looking conflicted. "I know, but... he just... argh! I hate this!" he said, looking back toward the hollow. "I hate _him!_"

"Ichigo, you can't think like that! You have to-"

Ichigo whipped back around. "I _know_ that, Rukia! I know that he and I will have to learn to get along and all of that." He scowled deeply. "That doesn't mean I have to _like_ it."

He pivoted to face the hollow and gasped, horrified. Rukia followed his line of vision, and her heart plummeted.

The hollow wasn't there anymore.

And before she could react to its absence, she felt an arm slide around her waist and pull her away from Ichigo.

xx

With luck, my beta will be able to go back to her one-critique-a-week schedule now, but she's working on a new novel, so I make no promises. All I can tell you is that I'll try to update as often as I possibly can, because I love you guys. Thanks for sticking with me for this long!

(And if nothing else, my backup beta just finished the novel _she_ was writing, so she might have a bit of time to help me between starting book 2 of a series and updating her own long-overdue fic. We shall see. This is the trouble with writer friends...)


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